Container with Side Pockets, Handles, and Resealable Opening

ABSTRACT

A collapsible container for holding popcorn includes a front panel, a rear panel, and gusseted side panels. Pockets are mounted on the front and rear panels. The container also includes carrying handles. The container also contains a releasably sealable opening. The resealable opening will also prevent accidental spillage of the popcorn. A fill line is located on the interior of the container in order to allow the user to know how much popcorn to put into the container such that it can still be easily closed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/474,775, filed May 29, 2009, which is continuation in partof U.S. patent application Ser. No. Ser. No. 12/183,969, filed Jul. 31,2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,016,485, which is hereby incorporated byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to a flexible container for holdingfood products and in particular to a container for holding popcorn.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the most traditional items associated with an evening at thecinema is a container of popcorn. Movie theaters make a substantialprofit selling popcorn, candy, drinks, and other food items at theirconcession stands. Conventional popcorn containers are typicallyrectangular paper bags that have folded side panels (“gussets”). Thegusseted side panels fold inwardly, enabling the container to be foldedflat for storage and shipment, and then unfolded when the food productis ready to be placed inside the container. These gusseted side panelsconnect to front and rear panels that, in combination with the gussets,define the structure of an expanded container when the gussets haveunfolded.

If a movie patron orders a drink and a container of popcorn at aconcession stand, both of his or her hands are full. Should the patronthen wish to carry any additional items, such as candy or napkins, thatendeavor becomes a juggling act. This problem is compounded for a parenttrying to carry concession items for himself or herself as well as for achild or for multiple children.

Additionally, a topping, such as butter or a powdered flavoring, isoften added to the popcorn in a conventional container. When the patronadds the topping to the popcorn, however, the topping only flavors thetop layer of popcorn. As such, there is often too much topping on theupper layer of the popcorn, whereas the lower layer is not coated withany of the topping.

An additional problem associated with a conventional popcorn containerat a movie theater is that the top opening of the container is notsealable. As such, the popcorn constantly releases heat through the topopening to the surrounding atmosphere thereby reducing the temperatureof the popcorn. The reduction in temperature has a detrimental effect onthe taste and smell of the popcorn.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to address the above identified problems, a food container inaccordance with the present invention, particularly a popcorn container,has one or more auxiliary pockets for holding additional items, hashandles for allowing the user to easily carry the container with onehand, and has a resealable top opening to prevent the escape of heat, toinhibit spilling, and to allow the popcorn to be shaken to evenlydistribute the toppings.

With respect to the one or more auxiliary pockets, the auxiliary pocketsof the container provide convenient storage spaces for additionalconcession items. Furthermore, the theater may place advertisements,coupons, or promotional brochures in the auxiliary pockets prior tofilling the container with popcorn and selling the popcorn to thecustomer. The pockets may also have a coupon directly printed on themthat the patron could tear off after he or she was finished eating thepopcorn.

The container with auxiliary pockets, in accordance with the presentinvention, is a collapsible, elongated container for holding popcorn orother food items. The container comprises a flat, rectangular bottompanel with connected upwardly extending upright panels, including afront panel and rear panel that are connected to inwardly folded,gusseted side panels. The connected upper ends of the upright panels(front panel, rear panel, and gusseted side panels) define a topopening. In one embodiment, the auxiliary pockets are attached to theoutside of the front and rear panels adjacent the bottom panel. Inanother embodiment, the auxiliary pockets are attached to the inside ofthe front and rear panels adjacent the top opening of the container.

The auxiliary pockets may have different constructions. In oneembodiment, the pockets comprise a front pocket panel and a rear pocketpanel connected to each other by a gusseted bottom pocket panel and apair of inwardly folded, gusseted side pocket panels. The rear pocketpanel is then bonded to either the inside or the outside of one of theupright panels of the container. In another embodiment, the auxiliarypocket may be formed of a single pocket panel consisting of a single webof material bonded to one of the upright panels of the container. Thesingle pocket panel is bonded to the upright panel along the pocketpanel's edges around a portion of the periphery of the single pocketpanel. For a rectangular pocket panel, the portion of the periphery ofthe pocket panel includes the bottom edge and the two side edges therebyleaving the top edge unbonded to form the opening for the auxiliarypocket. In yet another embodiment, the auxiliary pocket may be preformedby bonding a front pocket panel and a rear pocket panel together arounda portion of their mated peripheries. Again in the case of a rectangularfront pocket panel and a mated rectangular rear pocket panel, theportion of the periphery of the front and rear pocket panels includesthe bottom edges and the two side edges thereby leaving the top edgesunbonded to form the opening for the auxiliary pocket. The resultingpreformed auxiliary pocket is then bonded to one of the upright panelsof the container.

Furthermore, handles near the top of the popcorn container, inaccordance with the present invention, make carrying the containereasier. The handles are formed by first folding the tops of the frontpanel and the rear panel outwards and then down towards the container'sbottom until they are even with the tops of the side panels form a liparound the top opening of the container. A centrally placed hole, sizedfor fitting the fingers of a human hand, is made in each lip to create ahandle for carrying the container.

Means for releasably sealing the container's lipped top opening isprovided in order to close the top opening of the container and therebysecure the popcorn within the container. The means for releasablysealing the container's lipped top opening may include adhesive patchesor strips, cohesive patches or strips, or an elongated channel lockfastener. The resealable top opening allows the patron to add a toppingto the popcorn and then shake the container in order to evenlydistribute the flavored topping throughout the popcorn. A fill linelocated on the interior portion of the rear panel that allows one toknow how much popcorn to place inside the container so that thecontainer can still be easily closed would likewise be desirable. Theresealable top opening also allows the patron to seal the container whenhe or she is not eating the popcorn, in order to trap the heat of thepopcorn and thereby maintain an elevated temperature of the popcorn.Furthermore, the resealable top opening inhibits spilling when thecontainer is moved or if the container is accidentally knocked over ordropped.

Further objects, features and advantages will become apparent uponconsideration of the following detailed description of the inventionwhen taken in conjunction with the drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a containerin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the first embodiment of the containerin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the first embodiment of the container inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the first embodiment of thecontainer in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a container inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a section view of the second embodiment of the container inaccordance with the present invention as seen along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a section view of a third embodiment of a container inaccordance with the present invention as seen along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, a first embodiment of a food container 10in accordance with the present invention is illustrated FIGS. 1-4. Asecond embodiment of a food container 110 is illustrated in FIGS. 5-6. Athird embodiment of the food container 210 is illustrated in FIG. 7.

The food container 10 illustrated in FIG. 1-4 is a popcorn containeralthough the food container 10 of the present invention can be used fora variety of food products. The container 10 has a flat, rectangularbottom panel 50 (FIG. 3) and four upright panels, including a frontpanel 11, a rear panel 12, and gusseted side panels 13 and 14. A topopening 20 is defined by top 21 of the front panel 11, top 22 of therear panel 12, top 23 of the gusseted side panel 13, and top 24 of thegusseted side panel 14. While the food container 10 will be described inconnection with a generally rectangular container, the food container 10may be any shape including cylindrical, triangular, or otheraesthetically desirable shape.

The generally rectangular front and rear panels 11 and 12 are taller andwider than gusset side panels 13 and 14. The gusseted side panel 14 isshown in greater detail in FIG. 2. The gusseted side panels 13 and 14each comprise a first set of gusset panels 13 a and 13 b and a secondset of gusset panels 14 a and 14 b, respectively. The gusset panels 13 aand 13 b R. folded inwardly along fold line 13 c, and the gusset panels14 a and 14 b R. folded inwardly along fold line 14 c. The fold line 13c extends from the top 23 of the gusseted panel 13 to the bottom 53 ofthe gusseted panel 13. The fold line 14 c extends from the top 24 of thegusseted panel 14 to the bottom 54 of the of the gusseted panel 14.These gusseted panels 13 and 14 thereby create accordion type pleats oneach side of the container 10, between the front panel 11 and the rearpanel 12, when the container 10 is folded and collapsed.

The front panel 11 and the rear panel 12 are joined along the fourcorner edges 15 to gusseted side panels 13 and 14. The bottom 11 d ofthe front panel 11, the bottom 12 d of the the rear panel 12, the bottom13 d of the side panel 13, and the bottom 14 d of the side panel 14 arejoined to the bottom panel 50 to complete the construction of thecontainer 10. The upright panels, including the front panel 11, the rearpanel 12, and the side panels 13 and 14 extend upwardly to create thetop opening 20 (FIG. 2).

As best shown in FIG. 3, the top 21 of the front panel 11 and the top 22of the rear panel 12 extend past the top 23 of the side panel 13 and thetop 24 of the side panel 14. The top 21 of the front panel 11 and thetop 22 of the rear panel 12 are folded outwardly and downwardly untilthe uppermost portion 31 of the front panel 11 and the uppermost portion32 of the rear panel 12 are even with the top 23 of the side panel 13and the top 24 of the side panel 14. This folded structure creates alipped opening 20 composed of a front lip 21 a and a rear lip 22 a.

The lipped opening 20 has a front handle 41 and a rear handle 42 thatare formed by creating centrally placed holes, through front lip 21 aand rear lip 22 a, respectively. The front handle 41 is composed ofholes 41 a and 41 b. The rear handle 42 is composed of holes 42 a and 42b. The holes 41 a, 41 b, 42 a, and 42 b are sized for fitting thefingers of an adult human hand. Although the two layers of material usedto create the handles 41 and 42 provide sufficient strength for a fullyfilled container to be carried without tearing, a reinforcing backingcan be added to provide additional strength. Furthermore, interlocking,plastic backings can be applied to the handles to provide additionalsupport as well as a means for releasably sealing the container.

In order to releasably seal the top opening 20 of the container 10, atpatches 100 are located near the tops 23 and 24 of the gusset panels 13a, 13 b, 14 a, and 14 b. When the user wishes to seal the container, heor she collapses the top of the container 10 by bring handles 41 and 42into contact and then squeeze each adhesive patch 100 against theopposite adhesive patch 100 on its respective side panels 13 and 14. Analternative means for releasably sealing the top opening 20 of thecontainer 10 includes a first adhesive strip 101 located along thelength of the interior of the front lip 21 a and beneath the handle 42(FIG. 1) and a second adhesive strip 103 located along the length of theinterior of the rear lip 22 a and beneath the handle 41 (FIG. 4). Afurther sealing means includes a channel lock fastener comprising amating male rib or bead and a female sealing channel closure along thelength of the top opening 20 located in the same place as the adhesivestrips 101 and 103. When the male and female portions are properlyaligned and pressed together along the length of the top opening 20, thechannel lock fastener creates an airtight seal. Yet a further means forreleasably sealing the top opening 20 consists of cohesive patches orstrips located in the positions of adhesive patches 100 or of adhesivestrips 101 and 103. The cohesive patches or strips adhere only to eachother, and therefore will not collect debris as may be the case with theadhesive patches or strips 101 and 103.

A fill line 102 may be located on the interior portion of the container10 below the top opening 20 to indicate the highest level that thecontainer 10 should be filled so that the container 10 may still beclosed by one the means for releasably sealing the container 10.

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, all auxiliary pocket 60 is attached to thefront panel 11 of the container 10 and an auxiliary pocket 70 isattached to the rear panel 12 of the container 10. The auxiliary pocket60 is formed by a rectangular front pocket panel 61, folded side pocketpanels 63 and 64 (center folds 67 and 68), a rear pocket panel 62, and abottom pocket panel 65 (FIG. 3) and has a top pocket opening 66. Therear pocket panel 62 of the pocket 60 is bonded to the front panel 11 ofthe container 10. The rear pocket panel 62 may be bonded to the frontpanel 11 of the food container 10 by any suitable means including,without limitation, gluing, ultrasonic welding, heat welding, or anyother method available to those of ordinary skill in the art. Withreference to FIG. 4, the pocket 70 is formed by a rectangular frontpocket panel 71, folded side pocket panels 73 and 74 (center folds 77and 78), a rear pocket panel 72, and a bottom pocket panel 75 (FIG. 3)and has a top pocket opening 76. The rear pocket panel 72 of the pocket70 is bonded to the front panel 12 of the container 10 as previouslydescribed with respect to the auxiliary pocket 60.

Alternately, the rear pocket panels 62 and 72 of the pockets 60 and 70may be eliminated. Without the rear pocket panel 62, the side pocketpanels 63 and 64 of the pocket 60 are secured directly to the frontpanel 11 of the container 10. Without the rear pocket panel 72, the sidepocket panels 73 and 74 of the pocket 70 are secured directly to theback panel 12 of the container 10.

The bottom panel 50 of the container 10, shown in FIG. 3, has a centerfold 51 that extends from one side 50 a of the bottom panel 50 to theother side 50 b of the bottom panel 50. The bottom panel 50 also hasfour angular folds 52 that extend from each corner of the bottom panel50 to the center fold 51 forming an apex 55. A triangular bottom section54 is formed on opposite ends of the bottom panel 50 between the angularfolds 52 and of both sides 50 a and 50 b. The center fold 51 has endsections 56 which extend between the apex 55 and each side 50 a and 50 band bisect each triangular section 54.

Similarly the bottom pocket panels 65 and 75 of the pockets 60 and 70respectively, have identical structure. Each bottom pocket panel 65 or75 has a center fold 80 that extends from one side 81 of the bottompocket panel 65 or 75 to the other pocket side 82 of the bottom pocketpanel 65 or 75. The bottom pocket panels 65 and 75 also each have fourangular folds 83 which extend from each corner of the bottom pocketpanel 65 or 75 to the center fold 80 forming an apex 84. A triangularbottom section 85 is formed on opposite ends of the bottom pocket panels65 and 75 between the angular folds 83 and the sides 81 and 82 of thebottom pocket panels 65 and 75. The center fold 80 has end sections 86which extend between the apex 84 and the sides 81 and 82 and bisect eachtriangular section 85.

The container 10 may be collapsed as shown in FIG. 4. The front panel 11and the rear panel 12 are brought together by folding the sides at thecenter folds 13 c and 14 c that move inward towards the interior of thecontainer 10. The bottom panel 50 is folded outwards along the bottomcenter fold 51, but the end sections 56 are folded inwards similar tothe side center folds 13 c and 14 c. As the front panel 11 and the rearpanel 12 are brought together, the sides 13 and 14 and the triangularsections 54 are folded in half along the side center folds 13 c and 14 cand the bottom center fold end sections 56 respectively.

The pockets 60 and 70 also are collapsed in an identical manner. Thefront pocket panel 71 and the rear pocket panel 72 of pocket 70 arebrought together by folding the side pocket panels 73 and 74 at thecenter folds 77 and 78 that move inward towards the interior of thepocket 70. The bottom pocket panels 65 and 75 are folded outwards alongtheir center folds 80, but the end sections 86 are folded inwardssimilar to the side center folds 77 and 78. As the front and rear panels11 and 12 are brought together, the sides 73 and 74 and the triangularbottom sections 85 are folded in half along the side center folds 77 and78 and the bottom center fold end sections 86, respectively. Similarly,the same movement is performed on the analogous structures in the pocket60 to collapse the pocket 60. The collapsed container 10 and the pockets60 and 70 can be pressed flat for compact storage.

While one or more of the pockets 60 and 70 may be placed anywhere on theinside or outside of the front panel 11 or of the rear panel 12 of thecontainer 10, the pockets 60 and 70 are positioned on the outside of thefront panel 11 or the rear panel 12 adjacent the bottom panel 50 and lowenough to keep the container's center of gravity low and thereby providestability for the container 10. By positioning the pockets 60 and 70adjacent to the bottom panel 50, the unfolded flat, bottom pocket panels65 and 75 and the bottom panel 50 of the container 10 form a plane toprovide maximum stability in keeping the container in an uprightposition. Alternatively, the pockets 60 and 70 may be located on theinsides of the front panel 11 and the rear panel 12. If the pockets 60and 70 are located on the insides of the front panel 11 and the rearpanel 12, the pockets 60 and 70 are located near the top 21 of the frontpanel 11 and the top 22 of the rear panel 12 in order to allow access tothe pockets 60 and 70 through the top opening 20. Further, the container10 may have only a single auxiliary pocket pocket, or the container 10may have more than two auxiliary pockets.

A second embodiment of a food container 110 in accordance with thepresent invention is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The food container 110comprises a front panel 111, a rear panel 112, a first side panel 113, asecond side panel 114, and a bottom panel 150. The panels 111, 112, 113,114, and 150 are joined together as previously described with respect topanels 11, 12, 13, 14, and 50 of the food container 10 shown in FIGS.1-4. Also, as previously described in connection with the food container10 shown in FIGS. 1-4, the food container 110 has handles 141 in 142 anda top opening 120 that may be releasably sealed. As shown in FIG. 5, thefood container 110 has a front pocket 160 attached to the front panel111 that is different than the front pocket 60 disclosed in the firstembodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1-4. An additionalrear pocket or internal pockets may be provided. The front pocket 160 ofthe second embodiment of the invention comprises a generally rectangularfront pocket panel 161 having side edges 220 and 224, bottom edge 222,and top edge 226. The front pocket panel 161 is bonded to the frontpanel 111 along side bonding areas 210 and 214 (adjacent side edges 220and 224 of the front docket panel 161) and along bottom bonding area 212(adjacent bottom edge 222 of the front pocket panel 161). The top edge226 of the front pocket panel 161 remains unbonded to form an opening166 for the front pocket 160.

The construction of the second embodiment of the present invention shownin FIGS. 5 and 6 has the advantage of ease of manufacture. During themanufacturing process, the front pocket panel 161 is positioned at theappropriate, predetermined position on the front panel 111 and thenbonded to the front panel 111. The front pocket panel 161 may be bondedto the front panel 111 of the food container 110 by any suitable meansincluding, without limitation, gluing, ultrasonic welding, heat welding,or any other method available to those of ordinary skill in the art.

A third embodiment of the food container 210 in accordance with thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 7. The third embodiment of the foodcontainer 210 is in all respects the same as the food container 110shown in FIG. 5 except for the construction of the auxiliary pocket 260.The pocket 260 (FIG. 7) comprises two generally rectangular pocketpanels, a front pocket panel 261 and a rear pocket panel 262. The pocket260 is formed by bonding the rectangular pocket panels 261 and 262 alongtheir side edges (not shown) and along their bottom edges 264 and 265but not along their top edges 268 and 267. The unbonded top edges 268and 267 define pocket opening 266. The rear pocket panel 262 is thenbonded to the front panel 211 of the food container. The pocket panel262 may be bonded to the front panel 211 of the food container acrossthe entire mating surfaces between the rear pocket panel 262 and thefront panel 211 of the food container 210. Alternatively, the rearpocket panel 262 may be spot bonded to the front panel 211. The thirdembodiment, like the second embodiment, has the advantage of ease ofmanufacture as compared to the first embodiment.

Suitable materials for both the container and the pockets may be paperstock, coated paper, plastic film, foil, nonwoven fabric, foil-coveredpaper, or other materials available to persons of ordinary skill in theart. The material used should be flexible enough to allow the containerand pockets to be collapsible. The pockets are appropriately sized tohold food products typically sold at a movie theater concession stand,such as a variety of candies. The volume of the auxiliary pocket mayrange from 5 to 50 cubic inches, although a typical range is 25 to 35cubic inches. The pocket openings 66 and 76 are sized so that a foodproduct or other item may be easily placed into the pocket and besecurely held while the user is carrying the container. The pocketopening may have an area ranging from 2 to 12 square inches, although atypical range is 4 to 8 square inches. While the food container 10 isillustrated as generally rectangular in shape, the food container 10 maybe constructed in a variety of shapes including but not limited tosquare shaped, circular shaped, oval shaped, and any shape that producesboth a functional container and that is aesthetically pleasing.

In addition to the embodiments shown in the figures, a container inaccordance with the present invention may be constructed with a frontpanel and a rear panel and with the side edges and bottom edges of thefront and rear panels attached to each other. Such a container would nothave separate side panels or a separate bottom panel. In anotherembodiment of the container, the container may be constructed with afront panel, a rear panel, and side panels all connected together attheir side edges and bottom edges. Again such a container would not havea separate bottom panel. In yet another embodiment, the container may beconstructed with a front panel, a rear panel, and a bottom panel allconnected at their edges. Such an embodiment would not have separateside panels.

While this invention has been described with reference to preferredembodiments thereof, it is to be understood that variations andmodifications can be affected within the spirit and scope of theinvention as described herein and as described in the appended claims.

1-28. (canceled)
 29. A collapsible, elongate container comprising: a. aflat rectangular bottom; b. a front panel having a top and a bottom,said front panel bottom joined to said flat bottom; c. a rear panelspaced apart from said front panel having a top and a bottom, said rearpanel bottom joined to said flat bottom; d. inwardly folded, gussetedside panels which are narrower than said front and rear panels, saidside panels having a top and bottom, said side panels join to said flatbottom and connect the front panel and the rear panel such that the baseof all panels are parallel; and e. a collapsible pocket attachedadjacent to the bottom of said front panel or said rear panel, saidpocket including a flat pocket bottom joined to said container, a pocketfront panel spaced apart from said container and extending upwards fromsaid pocket bottom, and a pair of inwardly folded, gusseted side panelsextending upwards from said pocket bottom and joining said front pocketpanel and said container to form a pocket opening, said pocket beingsmaller in size than said container;
 30. The container of claim 29,wherein the container further includes a lipped opening, said lippedopening is formed by folding the top of the front panel and rear paneldown towards said flat bottom, said lipped opening has a centrallyplaced hole sized for fitting the fingers of a human hand, such thatsaid lipped opening is able to be used as a handle allowing saidcontainer to be held.
 31. The container of claim 29, wherein said pocketfurther includes a pocket rear panel attached to said container, saidpocket front panel being spaced apart from said pocket rear panel, saidpair of pocket side panels being joined to said pocket rear panel and tosaid pocket front panel to form said pocket opening.
 32. The containerof claim 29, wherein said pocket is sized between 12 and 20 cubic inchesto hold a concession item.
 33. The container of claim 29, wherein thecontainer further includes sealing means allowing the front panel andrear panel portions of said lipped opening to be releasably sealed toone another, said sealing means further allowing a user to unseal saidfront and rear panels.
 34. The container of claim 33, wherein saidsealing means is an adhesive disposed on opposite sides of the top ofsaid gusseted side panels.
 35. The container of claim 33, wherein saidsealing means is an adhesive disposed on opposite sides of the interiorlength of said lipped opening.
 36. The container of claim 33, whereinsaid sealing means is a mating male rib or bead and a female sealingchannel closure along the length of the bag opening, said male andfemale portions create an airtight closure when they are properlyaligned and pressed together along the length of the bag opening. 37.The container of claim 33, wherein said sealing means is a pair ofinterlocking plastic backings located on the interior of the handles ofsaid lipped opening.
 38. The container of claim 29, wherein said firstand second side panels each having a fold and said bottom having aplurality of folds adapted for folding said container into a collapsedposition wherein said top opening of said container is closed and forunfolding said container into a non-collapsed position wherein said topopening of said container is open.
 39. The container of claim 29,wherein a printed fill line is included on the interior side of saidfront panel, said fill line allows one to know how much popcorn to placein bag such that it can still be easily closed by said sealing means.